Objective: To investigate the antibacterial mechanism of sulforaphaneon (SFN) on Escherichia coli.
Methods: To determine membrane penetrability, changes of SDS-PAGE protein spectra, soluble protein and alkaline phosphatase and reducing sugar were determined. Cellular nucleic acid synthesis was detected by 4, 6- diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining assay.
Results: SFN affected the membrane permeability of Escherichia coli. Ions and small molecules could leak out of the cells. But it did not destroy the membrane integrity directly. After 16 hours of treatment with SFN, the total contents of intracellular and extracellular proteins decreased by 42.5% and 17.6%, respectively, while the quantity of DNA and RNA reduced by 34.8% and 48.5% respectively.
Conclusion: SFN can affect cell membrane permeability, material and energy metabolism and inhibit the synthesis of nucleic acid and protein.